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Letters Patent No; 78,691, dated June 9,1868.

IMPROVED GOMPOSITION FOP, SETTING POSTS, TIMBEES, 6w.

dig: $133111; rrfrmt In in ill Est "fittin fiatmtztnt tithing part atflge tam.

TO' ALL PERSONS TO WHOM'THESE PRESENTS MAY COME:

Be it known that I, A1\'IOS DUP URINTON, of Dover, in the county'ofStrafi'ord, and State ot'lNew Hampshire, have made a new and usefulInvention having Reference to the Setting of Posts, Timbers, &c., in theearth, in order; to prevent such fromlbeing heaved by frost, and also topreserve such posts or timbers from 'deday and the ravages of worms orinsectsyandl do hereby declare the sameto be fully described, asfollows:

In carrying out my invention, I thoroughly mix together clay, water, andpyroligneous acid, in the'propor tions of one gallon of the acid tothirty gallons of water, and a sulficient amount of dry clayto make'amortar, Ii' the clay is wet or moist when used, the amount of water -tobe employed with it will depend on what the amount may be in the clay,the'qu ant'ity necessary being such asgwith the acid, will bring themixture to the consistency required for being Worked. The clay should bethoroughly ground or reduced in a pug-mill, oiflby. any other propermeans, and should be divested of any stone s. I i

In setting a post or timber with this mixture, I run the mixture or tampit into the hole prepared in the earth for reception of'the post ortimber, and in which itmay be placed, taking care that such hole he of asuitabledepth. v I I When a post has been set in pulverized clay orargillaceous mortar, prepared withan ncidyas set forth, frost will notheave it, and the acid .will preserve the timber'from decay. The clay,after becoming dry or set,

will be impervious, or nearly so, to water and frost;

Railway-sleepers, bed-timbe'rsfor siderralks, and various: otherstructures or parts: oi structures, -when embeddedin earth, and subjectto bei ng moved out of place or heaved by frost, may be protectedtherefrom by being bedded in a mass of the argillaceous mortar.. Y I

The clay, by its resistance to water, will preserve the conservativepowers of the acid for a great length of time. The acid operates also toprevent animals or insects from burrowing into the clay about the postor timber, in' orderto bore into it, or to let water or moisture intothe clay, .andagainst that part of the post or timber which may bewithin it. Thus, it will be seen that the. acid will be productiveofvery important and useful results, when so combined with c1ay, andused as explained.

It has generally been supposed that clay would not resist frost, or thata post, yvhen set in clay, would be easily heaved by frost. While, underordinary circumstances, this may be so, yet, if the clay be thoroughlypulverized, and mixed in a state of mortar, and particularly whencombined with the acid, as set forth, it will be rendered resistive offrost, as explained.

What I claim as my invention is' The above-described argillaceouscomposition, as well as the employment or use of it, substantially inmanner, andrunder circumstances, and for the purpose orpurposes, asdescribed.

l nes D. PURINT'ON.

Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, F. P. HALE, J r.

